Sony Announces Pricing for Blu-ray Movies

Sony Pictures on Tuesday became the first major studio to put a price tag on Blu-ray movies when they become available in US stores this year. Catalog Blu-ray Disc (BD) titles will wholesale for $17.95, about the same as DVDs when that format hit the market in 1997. New-release BD movies will wholesale for $23.45, a premium of 15%-20% over what suppliers were charging for new theatrical DVDs. The higher pricing structure for new Blu-ray releases is meant to accommodate the sell-through and rental markets, said Benjamin Feingold, president of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. He added that Sony will not attach any suggested list prices to its BD movies, at least not at this time. "From the retail perspective, this is going to be a hot product, and retailers will no doubt determine their own margin structure," he said. "We believe in a free market." Blu-ray movies likely will start showing up in stores by early summer.